Easy sandwich...Toast two slices of your favourite bread, spread a little sour cream on each slice.Med. thick slices of avocadoslices from 1/2 med. tomato,More avocado.Top with other slice of toastEnjoy!

A drizzle of good olive oil in a skillet, med/high heatAdd 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, stir just to heat2 large Portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and cut into med. cubes, cook for 2 mins., stirring3-4 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, let steam/wilt over the mushrooms, about a minute. Toss together and serve over wild rice for a main, or as is for a side dish.

Good mint tea, a mix of peppermint and spearmint..blended with some black tea, if you want the caffeine kick... a spoonful of honey for sweetness (and to really bring the minty coolness forward)Sip while hot as an afternoon break or after supper to help settle the meal.It can help an unhappy/grumpy tummy if you've had too many snacks or sweets.

Holidays always get me over-sugared with candies and cookies and treats from friends...And a couple of cups of mint tea can get me feeling much better!

I think my new best friend just might have to be vegetable stock! I have changed several recipes to vegetarian just by subbing veg. stock when chicken was used.It gives you the kick of flavour when you want more than just water, and in some cases, it tastes even better than the chicken stock ever did.I use it it soups, sauces and even in cornbread dressing, and it always comes out delicious

In cases where beef broth/stock is the base, I can use veg. stock, mushroom and a little soy.*but keep in mind, even before, I was never a huge fan of beef flavours, so my change up isn't quite a 'beef' flavour, just a richer, deeper veg. version that my taste buds are delighted with..

if you have found a 'beefy' broth sub that you like, share it here!Or any tasty subs/alternatives! Always love new ideas

Bake 1 hour- 1 hour and 10 minutesin a greased and floured Bundt or tube panuntil a toothpick or cake tester inserted an inch from the side comes out clean

Let cool in pan for a couple of hours before turning out onto a plate

*this cake will tempt you to dig in as soon as it's cool, but trust me, it's even better when it gets the chance to sit overnight! The juice from the apples will flavour the cake and make it awesomely moist and yummy.perfect with a cup of black tea or spicy chai. When/if available, we like Fuji or Gala apples. They have the right firmness and juiciness for this cake

I'm not opposed to eggs in my diet. Why I look for alternatives is because of the conditions of hens laying the eggs. So many eggs are from hens kept in terrible factory conditions. It's bad for the hens, and bad for the eggs, and bad for the consumer.

When I find I need eggs for something, I like to get local, fresh eggs from organic fed, free-range (cage free) hens.If you can find a farmer's market, or if you're lucky enough to know someone with hens... that's the way to go!Otherwise, look for 'Organic' and 'Free-range' or 'Cage Free' on the egg carton/packaging.They cost more, but they are better all around. (I even find that they taste better...)

Sometimes the best way to warm up a cold winter morning is a hot bowl of oatmeal.Personally, I like the steel-cut (Irish) oatmeal better than rolled. The texture and slightly nutty flavour is a lot more satisfying. But sometimes, you just wanna kick it up a bit. Coz it can get a little boring...So to kick up your hot cereal of choice, a few ideas!

Apples, diced small, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.Chopped walnuts or pecans, or a dollop of cashew butter stirred in.Sliced banana (if it's a little soft, you can mash it and stir it in) with a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup.Raisins, dried cranberries or pieces of dried apricot.Strawberries and a splash of heavy cream Mixed berry compote (seriously, had some left over once, stirred it into my oatmeal, *bliss!*)

2 year anniversary coming up next month! Overall, a good two years. Had a few bumps in the road, some people just not quite "getting it" when I'd have to clarify 'vegetarian' means NO meat... at all! (yes, that means no bacon. <<< I for real got that question... )But all in all, a very good couple of years completely meat-free.

I still kinda miss marshmallows, though (gelatin, ewww). I might tackle some of the vegan marshmallow recipes I've seen.

But tonight, an experiment with lasagne! one for my beloved omnivores, coz they love the one I make with ground beef in it, and one all veg with mushrooms, spinach and arugula. (If they're sweet to me, I might share my veg. one with them, LOL!)

So so so so good! Now, this takes time, as I made the red sauce, rather than buying something pre-made. Mostly because I love messing up my big pots, LOL! Seriously though, if you have the time and access to canned tomato stuff, try it. It's worth it.

Pour whole tomatoes into a large bowl and squish them between your fingers to break them up. Set these aside

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on med. heat. Add in the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, paste, water, broth, sugar, and reserved tomatoes that you crushed. Stir well and bring up to a simmer. Lastly add the wine and the mushrooms. Lower the heat to med-low and let simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.It will reduce a little and the flavours will get a chance to come together very nice.

Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan (13x9x2 inches...)lay three noodles lengthwise in dish. Noodles shouldn't touch eachother (makes slicing easier later)Spoon 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture onto the noodles, gently spread as evenly as you can.Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded Mozzarella over thatLay a handful of the spinach and arugula over that, spread evenly over the cheese layerAdd a few of the sliced mushroomsand repeat layers sauce, noodles, ricotta, Mozzarella, leaves, mushrooms...You should have 4 layers of noodles... and a cup of sauce over everything.Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and a final 1/2 cup Mozzarella over the top (and by now, it may well be 'over the top', LOL!)

Cover the whole thing tightly with aluminum foil and bake covered for 1 hour.Uncover and bake 10 more minutes for bubbly cheesy awesomeness.

Remove from oven and let set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Slice lengthwise between the noodles, then across 3-4 cuts, depending on how large a piece you want. Enjoy the awesomeness!!! (3 cuts across will give you 12 pieces, 4 cuts across will give you 15 pieces)

Leftovers refrigerate and re-heat very well! Just zap a leftover piece in the microwave for a minute or two and enjoy again.

Well here we are! 2 years today (Groundhog Day, LOL) I officially made the full conscious decision and the full change over to a veg ("Bunny Food", LOL@ my sweetie!) diet.

I suppose I could have counted at the end of January, but I had not made up my mind and committed to the idea of becoming a vegetarian, like *for real*. I was still thinking I'd just lay off the meat for a while, then somewhere in the unknown future, I'd include it back, but just maybe... less.But having gone through a kind of 'detox', and really feeling the benefits of that, and thinking about it, researching it, and meditations in general... it was 2 years ago today that I made it "Official" and "Real" in myself.

I have re-learned how to cook, I've stopped relying so heavily on pre-made meals (but I still LOVE the stuff from Amy's Kitchen, sooooooooooo good!) And I've even got my "Beloved Omnivores" to go a few veg nights here and there

Sooooo..Happy Second Anniversary to me! It's grey and drizzly today, so I'm thinking of a hot pot of vegetable soup...

Med. heat, large soup pot or stock potHeat onions, garlic and ginger in olive oil until just getting softShred a head of cabbage and add to the potAdd a large can of crushed tomatoes, a large can of diced tomatoes, and a can of tomato sauceStir wellChop up 3-4 stalks of celery and stir them inAdd 4-6 cups vegetable stock, stirRoughly rip several handfuls of spinach leaves, stir in2 bay leavesAdd in some mushrooms, some corn, and your favourite beansAnd go crazy with your spice cabinet! Open up the jars and bottles, give 'em a sniff. You want some basil and oregano? go for it! A little cumin or curry powder? Why not! Another kick of garlic? Don't be shy! Thyme.?. sage.?. paprika.?. cayenne.?. Yes! Play with it, experiment, have fun with it! This soup loves just about anything from the spice cabinet The longer you can let this simmer, the better. I'd give it a minimum of 2 hours (do this on a day when you don't have to be somewhere, LOL) Sometimes I'll start this stuff up in the morning or early afternoon and just let it slowly simmer and get awesome through the day, stirring periodically until supper time.Peek in on it, taste it now and again, just to see if you want to perk up the flavours of one thing over another.Depending on how 'done' you like your carrots, chop into bite-size pieces and add 25 minutes- 45 minutes before serving.

Leftovers reheat so well, and you can add more stuff to it and change the flavour now and then. This can last you a loooong time!Cook up some pasta and ladle the soup over it, you have another layer of yummy. It is my favourite soup, I've made it since I was a little girl, and it always come out a little different, but always delicious!

One structural problem is that most vegetarian and vegan cookbooks or sites that you can find are US-based, which means they rely on specific products being available (either manufactured or the general availability of some vegetables - I don't find that much kale where I live, for instance).

The other one is simply life happening, for example having to give one lunch each day for your kid no matter what because there's no veggie option, so you tend to rely on the tried and true.

Our family has had the urge to set a kind of "one new dish each week" rule/challenge, but so far we have failed miserably. The actual recipes may vary but it seems we always have from half a dozen to a dozen usual suspects.

Something that I've found delightfully helpful has been Google+Seriously, create an account (if you don't have one already), and do a search for vegetarian.You can find veggie love all around the world! And all kinds of pages... Catholic veg., Veg. kids, Veg. travelers, etc... Support pages, questions and answers, Paleo Veg., lacto-veg., vegan, etc...

I know I haven't posted much lately. Sorry. Been a hard time, and am not really cooking for myself, much.If anyone has an easy recipe or two they'd like to share, please feel free.I could use a spark...

So I got this one from my mom. We made it together while I was visiting, and have since made it again. It's a nice one, lightly flavoured and yummy. Can be used as a side (refrigerate the left overs) or as a main... the lentils can be filling! .........................Spinach With Lentils*3-4 servings

In a medium saucepan on high, combine lentils, mustard seeds and salt in about 4 cups water; bring to boil.Turn down heat to simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes (lentils will be just tender...)Drain, rinse under cold water to stop them cooking, and let them drain well after rinsing.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add the onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Stir in the lentils, vinegar, and sugar; cook while stirring until heated through (2 minutes).Stir in the spinach and cook, covered, until the spinach begins to wilt (2 minutes) *I found I needed to give it a bit of a stir, just a little, to get some of the un-wilted spinach to the bottom of the pan. So leave it for a minute, give a fold/stir, re-cover and leave for another minute*Then, if there's any liquid in the pan, drain off......................................

This is pretty good stuff, and the lentils are filling and a good protein source. Enjoy!

You can replace the watermelon puree with honeydew melon or cantaloupe puree. Use any fresh organic fruit you have on hand. I like using contrasting colors because it makes the popsicles look so pretty! And don't forget to use seedless watermelon.

Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds). Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit. Then pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Place into your freezer and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pull each one out. Enjoy! Source: http://www.NourishingMeals.com